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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28704123">A Moment of Levity</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarrowdams/pseuds/dwarrowdams'>dwarrowdams</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Eadgar Lives AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works &amp; Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Flashbacks, Funny, Gen, kind of???</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:13:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,795</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28704123</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarrowdams/pseuds/dwarrowdams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>During a grueling journey, Eadgar tells a tale of his youthful foolishness to lighten the mood.  Set a few weeks after the previous piece.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Eadgar Lives AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1913467</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Moment of Levity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This has been finished at least since November, but I just got caught up with other things.</p><p>Either way, here it is now.  Hopefully the next piece won't take quite so long (since it is also finished).</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Eadgar had traveled far and wide in his thirty years and had seen many foul places, but the Wastes had taken the place as his least favorite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The miserable landscape had worn heavily on him and on his companions, so dinner had been a quiet affair.  However, Eadgar couldn’t bear any more of this heavy silence.  It was in his nature to make others laugh and smile and he only hoped that his words would bring some measure of comfort to his companions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Might I share a story before we go to sleep?” he asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone looked up at him in surprise.  This trip had been largely silent, the bleak landscape chipping away at whatever hope they had, so this was the most anyone had spoken in hours.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hanar was the first to speak.  “I wouldn’t mind being the one listening to tales instead of telling them,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a moment, everyone else murmured their agreement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait a moment,” Eadgyd said before he could begin.  “Which story do you mean to tell?  If you aim for a sad tale, I feel it would be ill received.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others murmured in agreement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, not a sad tale at all,” Eadgar said.  “Tis an amusing story, albeit rather embarrassing for me.  But then, what good is life if we cannot laugh at ourselves a little?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ghost of a smile flicked across Eadgyd’s face.  “That hardly narrows it down,” she said.  “You embarrass yourself quite often.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, but this is truly the mother of all humiliations,” Eadgar said.  “I mean to tell them of the time I met Beorn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgyd snickered, drawing the surprised gaze of her companions.  “Oh, you want to hear this,” she said.  “If anything can give us a bit of joy in this place, it’s this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Friggir nodded in agreement.  “I think we could all use a bit of joy,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar smiled, glad that his proposal had been well-received.  “Well,” he began, “I wanted to impress my father, so I did what any impulsive fifteen-year-old would do: I snuck out of the house and followed him on patrol.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Slipping out of the house was easier than Eadgar had expected.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All he’d needed to do was stay awake until his father left and climb out through the bedroom window.  He stayed a ways behind Ediulf to insure he wasn’t spotted and managed to get into the forest without attracting any attention.  As his father entered the forest, he shimmied up a tree and followed from above, careful not to make too much noise.  He might have difficulty keeping his feet beneath him on the ground, but in the trees, Eadgar moved as naturally as a squirrel.  It was hard to keep up with his father, but thankfully his pace slowed when he met with the others in his patrol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He kept up easily enough as the four of them wove through the trees, speaking softly to one another from time to time about boring grown-up things.  He sighed exasperatedly—if they were going to walk out alone in the woods, they could at least discuss something more interesting than tolls and patrols.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The small party stopped at the sound and Eadgar could tell that they were all surveying the area for its source.  He covered his mouth, hoping desperately that his hands and feet wouldn’t slip out of position.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you hear something?” one of them asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar froze, holding his breath.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a squirrel, I’d reckon,” Ediulf said.  “Perhaps a raccoon.  Either way, it’s no threat to us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar stayed where he was for a while longer until the patrol was a little farther ahead.  They wouldn’t suspect one slip-up, but if he made another mistake, someone might find him out.  He moved more cautiously now, staying a little further behind the group and listening for any other sound. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t long before he heard something else: something that was a ways off now, but was loud nonetheless.  He moved towards the sound, his plan of showing off to his father forgotten.  Going along with the patrol might earn him some respect, but catching an intruder that the patrol missed would undoubtedly gain him more.  Even if it was large, he had two advantages: he knew the terrain and the intruder didn’t know that they were being watched.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound grew louder and Eadgar followed it, poking his head through the branches to see the source.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a bear: one more massive than any he’d seen.  Eadgar knew not what the creature wanted, but something strange must be afoot if a bear this large roamed the woods alone at night.  He climbed cautiously down the tree, moving to a lower branch to see it better.  Once he was far down enough to see it, he leaned forward to get a better look, but he leaned too far and toppled out of the tree, falling onto the forest floor right in front of the creature.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please,” Eadgar said gently, hoping that the bear would listen, “I didn’t mean to intrude on your lands.  I just wanted to follow my father as he patrolled the woods.  Forgive me if I’ve disturbed you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cautiously, he looked up and was surprised when he saw the bear looking at him with something like curiosity.  Eadgar blinked, wondering if he’d imagined it, but the bear looked just as curious as it had before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You understand, don’t you?” he said eagerly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A snarl came from the creature as it stood upright onto its hind legs, its body gradually shifting until it took the shape of a man.  It was then that Eadgar realized that he hadn’t been speaking to a bear: he’d been addressing the skin-changer Beorn, and had done so in a way that would make his mother weep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I understand your words,” Beorn said.  “What I do not understand is why a youngling is skulking through the woods at night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar opened his mouth to protest that he was nearly sixteen, but remembered with whom he was speaking.  “I wanted to see what it was like,” he admitted.  “Father says I’m too young to join the patrols, but I thought that if I followed him and proved that I could be of use, he’d let me go.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beorn raised an eyebrow at him.  “Do you still think that you’re ready to patrol the woods?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar hoped that the darkness hid his flush.  “No,” he muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then at least you are able to learn from your mistakes,” Beorn said.  “Come now—let us find your father.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar followed him through the dark, jogging to keep up with Beorn’s large strides.  He knew these woods well, but his pursuit of Beorn had taken him into a part that he’d visited only in daylight.  Fortunately, it didn’t take them long to reach his father and the rest of the patrol.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beorn took Eadgar by the shoulder and nudged him forward.  “It seems I’ve found someone’s son,” he said as he nudged Eadgar forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One of the others looked up: Frideger the Red, who had known Eadgar since birth and was his father’s closest friend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think this one’s yours, Ediulf,” they said jokingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ediulf sighed as he took Eadgar’s wrist, tugging the youth to his side.  “My apologies for any trouble my son might’ve caused you, sir,” he said, inclining his head.  “Thank you for returning him to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beorn nodded  “The only person he’s caused trouble is himself, it seems,” he said before turning to Eadgar.  “Heed your father’s instructions, whatever they might be.  You may think them unjust, but I assure you that they are the kindest thing that could befall you while wandering in the woods alone and untrained at night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I will, sir,” Eadgar said.  “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Beorn nodded once before turning and walking away, his large figure fading easily into the trees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ediulf sighed.  “Well, if you wished to impress me, you’ve certainly done it,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have?” Eadgar said eagerly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Ediulf said.  “I’m not sure how you managed to get out of the house without waking anyone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar ducked his head in shame.  “The window in mine and Eadgyd’s room,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ediulf nodded.  “That makes more sense—here I thought you’d managed to walk out the front door without running into anything.  If only I were a rich man: then I’d put you in a room on the second floor and hope it’d deter your mischief.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Frideger laughed good-naturedly.  “If any of us come into enough money, we’d be happy to help young Eadgar stay out of trouble,” they said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The others laughed good-naturedly and Eadgar bowed his head, looking thoroughly chastised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you’ve had enough adventure for tonight,” Ediulf said.  “You can find your way home, I hope?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good.  Go straight home and straight to bed—we’ll discuss your punishment in the morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Father,” Eadgar murmured, thoroughly chastised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He trudged off through the woods, filled with awe at seeing Beorn in the flesh and shame at how badly he’d failed in his original mission.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what was your punishment?” Holma asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had to weed the garden for a month, wash the breakfast dishes, and craft arrows for those patrolling the woods,” he said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And that’s not the worst part,” Eadgyd said, unable to hide her grin.  “Tell them what Mother made you do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar groaned, hiding his face in his hands briefly before looking up again.  “She made me write a letter apologizing to Beorn,” he said.  “She wanted me to apologize for my foolhardy behavior and glib attitude towards him—her words, not mine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She brings it up to this day,” Eadgyd said.  “Just before we left, she told Frida not to go falling out of any trees, especially not in front of anyone important.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dyri covered his mouth to stifle his laugh, as did Hanar.  Even Holma and Friggir, who had both been especially somber this trip, smiled at the story.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They might be laughing at him, but Eadgar had made them laugh, and for now, that was more than enough.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, when everyone had set up their bedrolls, Eadgyd prodded him in the back, causing him to turn over.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should tell stories more often,” she said.  “Next time, tell them the one about the raccoon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgar grinned as he pulled the bedroll up to his chin.  “All right,” he said.  “But don’t think you’ll be left out of all of the stories: I have a few about you that I won’t keep secret forever.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eadgyd laughed softly.  “Fair enough, brother,” she said.  “But at the end of it all, just remember that I’m not the one who fell out of a tree in front of Beorn.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is one of many "Eadgar is a loveable dumbass" stories that has lived rent-free in my brain for months.  You'll definitely see more of them soonish, I hope.</p><p>Please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed!</p><p>Tumblr: dwarrowdams<br/>Twitter: @_tenderqueer</p></blockquote></div></div>
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